Tom Fred Tenney, a longtime leader in the United Pentecostal Church International who is credited with increasing the denomination's missionary work and doling out pithy one-liners on how to live right on social media, died peacefully on Friday. He was 84.

I have bookmarked many pages in this book as it is full of excellent points. This book would be great for anyone interested in Christian apologetics or for someone who wants to know whether or not the Bible/Gospels is what it claims to be. If you are thinking of suggesting this book to an atheist, I would say that this book isn't really tailored to an atheistic point of view, as the author does talk about things more like he is speaking to Christians, and there is a bit of how Christians should be responding to criticisms of the Bible, Christianity, how critics may respond, etc. But, if the atheist is already reading Christian literature to see what the big deal is, they probably won't mind all the scriptures, and the sections where J. Warner Wallace discusses what you must do once you are a Christian, how to be prepared for questions people ask Christians, etc.

Every worldview offers a solution to a problem, but not every worldview accurately identifies the problem it is trying to solve. Christianity identifies the problem as our own persistent inclination toward bad behavior. We have a sin problem. But Christianity is more than a description of how to be good. Unlike other works-based theistic worldviews (i.e. Judaism, Mormonism or Islam), Christianity recognizes our inability to consistently “perform”. While other theistic worldviews encourage us to work hard and do our best to save ourselves, only Christianity acknowledges our inability to accomplish this task. Other religions offer a work regimen, Christianity offers hope. Only Christianity offers Jesus as the sacrifice for our sin. Christians don’t need to be embarrassed of their worldview; Christianity, when properly understood, offers hope and a solution to our dilemma.

Some believers throughout church history have agreed with many nonbelievers in proclaiming that Christianity is not a reasonable religion. Nevertheless, a powerful theological-philosophical consensus within the history of the faith has argued that the historic Christian religion involves knowledge and is indeed compatible with reason. This historic agreement has often been expressed in the common statement: “faith seeking understanding.” Its most articulate and persuasive spokespersons through the centuries have been such distinguished Christian thinkers as Augustine, Anselm, and Thomas Aquinas. 1

While Jesus walked here on earth, His followers studied and learned from His actions and words. They were often mesmerized, confused and challenged by what they saw and heard. In spite of this, Jesus taught them and occasionally sent them out on their own. They memorized His teaching and relied on his wisdom when they weren’t with Him. We don’t know how much (if anything) these eyewitnesses wrote down during this time. Did the disciples take notes? Did they keep a journal? While Jesus was alive, the disciples likely felt no need to write down his words. The Word was witnessed in these incredible days, as men and women stood in awe of the Master, watching Him perform miracles and listening carefully to what He taught about God and eternal life.

I turned on the TV one night and saw an older preacher being carried out to the pulpit by a man on each side. I have never seen someone alive look so dead. He claimed that God told him to fast for 40 days so that people could look at him while he preached and know that God was behind his sermon. I thought, “Wow, that man is so godly! That must be what biblical fasting looks like!”

In a 7-2 majority, the Supreme Court rules, "The government... cannot impose regulations that are hostile to the religious beliefs of affected citizens and cannot act in a manner that passes judgment upon or presupposes the illegitimacy of religious beliefs and practices." twitter.com/DennyBurk/stat…

What to pray for this week: Pray God would remind us that we are upheld by His power and purpose. Pray He would remind us that we exist by His choice. Pray we would remember that we are created for Him. Download 21 Days of Prayer for Life! bit.ly/2CkG6ff pic.twitter.com/uoYRLDNvv0

“A traveler, between flights at an airport, went to a lounge and bought a small package of cookies and a newspaper. The woman found an empty seat in the gate area and sat down next to a man reading a magazine. After a couple of minutes she became aware of a rustling noise. From behind her paper she peeked to see the man sitting next to her helping himself to her cookies. After the initial shock she decided not to make a scene so she reached over and took a cookie for herself.

The Bible is a sharp, double-edged sword—able to pierce the heart. However, when portions of the Bible are used in the wrong context, it’s like trying to fight with the butt of the weapon instead of the blade. It’s just not effective.

“Pastor John, what would you say to a young man or a young woman who is interested in pursuing a career as a financial advisor? Should a Christian serve others by helping them plan financially for retirement, or do you think this is promoting an ungodly waste of retirement? I want to help others steward their money for the sake of Christ, but our society’s warped perspective on retirement makes me think twice about entering this profession. Can a Christian serve others and help them plan for retirement — even a very typical American retirement — with a clear conscience? Is financial planning a worthy Christian vocation?”

Expanding on the context, Gärtner appeals to the choosing of the apostles, Jesus’ conception of marriage and creation, the Christian as new creation, and heresy in Corinth in order to make his argument that women are excluded from the ministry. We’ll briefly sketch out his argument. Jesus’ apostles, Gärtner argues, are all men (29). He notes that these apostles are “leaders of the new people of God,” something important we will consider below. He also states that “although the most esteemed women… who were part of the closest circle of disciples, were present in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, it was only the apostles themselves who were invited to be present at the Last Supper… By immemorial custom both women and children shared in this dinner fellowship. Yet, this is the time that Jesus breaks that tradition and gathers only the twelve around Him” (ibid). Regarding Jesus’ concept of marriage and creation, Gärtner walks through Matthew 19:3ff in which Jesus discusses marriage (30-31). The Christian as new creation Gärtner states, after pointing to texts talking about the Christian as new creation, that “in the life of the church, the true relationship between male and female can take place” (31).

Leading isn’t so much about being on the platform or at the head of the group as it is about being noticeably different. You don’t lead when you land a certain position or facilitate discussion at small group. You lead when you live set apart from the world—and you can do that right where you are.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

The following 20 quotes caught my attention as I read Jen Wilkin’s superb new book, In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character (Crossway, 2018). (This is the sequel to None Like Him , a 2016 TGC Book Award winner.) Also check out Melissa Kruger’s sneak-peek interview with Wilkin.
If we want our lives to align with God’s will, we will need to ask a better question than “What should I do?” . . . God is always more concerned with the decision-maker than he is with the decision itself. (12)
If we focus on our actions without addressing our hearts, we may end up merely as better behaved lovers of self. (13)
No other attribute is joined to the name of God with greater frequency than holiness. (23)
If the utter purity of God makes the angels avert their gaze, preaching holiness may not be a crowd pleaser. Better to go with an emphasis on love so everyone feels welcome, or better to go with an emphasis on justice so everyone behaves. God deserves our worship for both his love and his justice. But his love and his justice are imbued with and defined by his holiness—he does not merely love; he loves out of utter purity of character.

Francis Schaeffer’s view of the church in modern culture is multifaceted yet cuts straight to the point. He does not mince words or play clever evangelical games. He believes one major problem with Christians is that they see things in bits and pieces. They have failed to see that modern man’s despair has come to fruition because of a shift in worldview. He contends that Christians should begin to think in terms of the big picture. They should have a view of spiritual reality that is authentic and covers all areas of life. Indeed, the Lordship of Christ covers all life and all life equally.

“In the first century, Christians were crucified, burned, and thrown to the wild animals simply for proclaiming the name of Christ. This was a period of immense persecution, and if Christians wanted to survive, they had to hide out from the governing authorities.” While there is some truth in this statement, it is certainly an overstatement. Yes, Christians were persecuted, but in the first century, most persecution was local and sporadic.

First, have you determined in your heart how you will respond to peer pressure to drink alcohol? Most of you have already faced this to some degree, but the stakes change when no parents are there to check on you at night or wake you up in the morning.

J. Warner Wallace, author of Cold-Case Christianity, is interviewed by Perry Atkinson of Focus Today about the evidence supporting the reliability of the New Testament Gospels and his book, Cold-Case Christianity .

Tim Barnett of Stand to Reason clarifies a common misconception about the biblical definition of faith. For more information, visit str.org. Connect with us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/STRtweets Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/standtoreaso... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/standtoreason/ Have a question or comment? Call Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason live Tuesdays 4-6pm Pacific Time - (855) 243-9975. If you'd like to submit your question ahead of time, fill out the online form here: https://www.str.org/training/broadcast

One of the primary mistakes that we tend to make when we think of studying God’s Word is to under-emphasize its supernatural quality. That is, we treat the Bible too much as a puzzle to interpret by our own strength, instead of doing the truly hard work of asking God to show us its meaning. There is no replacement for knee work if we are to do Bible work, no alternative but to ask God to speak to us through his Word if we wish to hear what he has to say. Yet so often we go along readily enough through a passage of the Bible as if it is merely a text book or a blog, and not something that is a voice from heaven to us, the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

Despite Satan’s insinuations, you are not the first to experience this paralyzing lack of happiness in God. After commending the church at Ephesus concerning their patient endurance, intolerance of evil, suffering for Christ’s name, and exposing of false apostles, Jesus confronts them. Although this church looked amazing on paper, he turns to one central issue, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4).

Clear, logical, persuasive presentation of irrefutable, well documented facts of the foundation of the Christian faith. Dr. Lane did his homework. The "new atheists" would be hard pressed to refute the historical, archeological, scientific evidence that Jesus Christ did indeed live, die and rise from the dead, and take away the sins of the world. This book is an Indispensable resource for any and all Christians, and should be required reading for anyone whose faith in the Bible is wavering.

Kate Bowler was an accomplished college professor, mother and wife when she was diagnosed in 2015 with incurable, stage four colon cancer — a earth-shattering reality that left the then 35-year-old totally stunned.

According to that biblical principle of “two or three witnesses,” we shall now select evidences that support the truth and accuracy of God’s Word. In every area, the evidence has been forthcoming: God has vindicated His Word, and His Book is a genuine writing, with prophecies and revelation that must be taken seriously. His Book is unique because it is His Book.

One of the more difficult scenarios will be what the church should do when, say, two women, who have lived in a so-called married state for some years, are converted to Christ, repent of their sin, and want to join the church. And what if they have children?

Cross & Crown Radio host Mike Robinson shares his unique approach regarding the Black Hebrews, time travel, and proof for God in this fresh show. check out Robinson's book 'How Jesus Became God In The Flesh: The Proper Exaltation Of A Prophet From Nazareth: Bart Ehrman Refuted' on Amazon

Christians know our world has changed, but we’re surprised by how rapidly much of the world has become hostile for Christians. I write from Australia. A couple of months ago, every single media outlet was devoted to the story of Israel Folau, a previously popular professional rugby player, who is public about his Christian faith. Folau was asked on Twitter for his view on “God’s plan” for gay people. Folau tweeted, “Hell. Unless they repent of their sins and turn to God.”

In New Testament scholarship, the Gospel of John is often viewed as a late document that adds little value to the historical Jesus. But the more I study John, the more I see the strong internal evidence that it was written by an eyewitness of Jesus’ life. Here are four of those reasons.

I don’t know the process of how these are ranked, but one website recently published the list: Top 100 Christian Blogs on Jesus Christ, Bible & Christianity in 2018 . There are some great websites and organizations on the list, on which I’m thrilled to have ranked at all, let alone at number thirty-three. But, if you take a look at the list, you’ll see that Bart Ehrman’s blog is ranked at number twenty-nine, and if you don’t know or didn’t read his bio, Ehrman is one of today’s leading skeptics of Christianity. I’m not at all against people reading Ehrman at all, in fact I encourage believers to educate themselves on the argument against Christianity, but if one didn’t know about the many reasonable responses, rebuttals, and refutations of Ehrman’s claims that are available, his arguments might sound pretty good and convincing, and His books and website are merely a tiny tiny fraction of what’s out there gunning for your kids and mine. When I started TPE just eight short years ago, there wasn’t near the amount of apologetics and worldview training resources that there are today, but if you don’t know where to look or exactly what it is you’re looking for, one is just as likely to stumble across misinformation as they are the truth.

What to pray for this week: Pray resources funds at pregnancy centers. Pray for qualified staffing to best support the mothers coming in. Pray for encouragement for staff when mothers choose abortion. Download 21 Days of Prayer for Life! bit.ly/2CkG6ff pic.twitter.com/psADpg50Nr

Christians are often accused of taking a “blind leap into the dark.” However, my father Josh set out to disprove the Christian faith historically, but instead found the evidence powerful and convincing. So, when he became a Christian, it wasn’t a blind leap into the dark, but a knowledgeable step into the light. He placed the evidence onto the scales, and in his estimation, it tipped in favor of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, resurrected from the dead. You may be convinced by the evidence. On the other hand, you may find it wanting. But the claim that “faith is blind” simply ignores the biblical and historical evidence. In fact, only someone who hasn’t truly weighed the evidence could make such a claim. If you haven’t considered the evidence yet, maybe now is the time.

Maturity will always be in high demand. Societies need good citizens. Nations clamor for noble leaders. Businesses seek out responsible employees. Parents long for prudent children. And the church of Jesus Christ, wherever it’s healthy, is marked by maturing members.
Like farmers want their harvests ripe, and fathers want their sons wise, God wants his people mature. But right when everyone’s desperate for more true grownups, we’re delaying the process of growing up. We’re doing one of the most dangerous things any society can do: keeping our youth young.
So how can the next generation move toward maturity? How can adolescents grow into young adults? How can college students move through the college years with increasing integrity, character, maturity, skill, and productivity?
Here are six basic steps to help the saplings of the next generation add rings as they reach for the light.
1. Wake Up: Desire
The first step toward maturity is wanting it. This virtue—basic desire—sits at the core of who we are and what we become.
Like children, all young adults grow whether they want to or not.

Increasingly, Western culture embraces confusion as a virtue and decries certainty as a sin. Those who are confused about sexuality and identity are viewed as heroes. Those who are confused about morality are progressive pioneers. Those who are confused about spirituality are praised as tolerant. Conversely, those who express certainty about any of these issues are seen as bigoted, oppressive, arrogant, or intolerant.
This cultural phenomenon led the compilers of the Oxford English Dictionary to name "post-truth" their word of the year in 2016. How can Christians offer truth and clarity to a world that shuns both?
Frank interviews author and speaker Abdu Murray about his brand new book "Saving Truth" where he answers this question and more.